Keeping up nearly 14 acres and a mansion isn’t cheap. Lisa Marie Presley found that out when she inherited Graceland, her dad Elvis’ home in Memphis.
Lisa Marie Presley couldn’t afford the $500,000 a year upkeep, so she turned it into a tourist attraction. The first tour was June 7, 1982. More than 20 million tourists have visited since it opened. It’s now the second most popular home visited in the United States, after the White House.
Elvis purchased the home for $102,500 in 1957 at 22. It has 23 rooms, including eight bedrooms and baths. He lived there with his parents and grandmother.
The previous owners named it Graceland after their aunt Grace.
When Elvis purchased it, the mansion was out in the country. Today, shopping centers, apartments and commercial buildings surround the area.
One well-known visitor was Paul Simon. He wrote our Song of the Day “Graceland” in 1985 after studio sessions with some South African musicians. He never intended to write a song called “Graceland.” The words “I’m going to Graceland, Graceland,” were supposed to be placeholders.
Simon then visited the mansion. Some of the lyrics describe what he saw as he drove on Route 61 through the Mississippi delta.
He stood in line like all the other visitors and wasn’t impressed with what he saw until he visited Presley’s grave. Then, he cried.
The song became the title track on his 1986 album. It sold 15 million copies and won a Grammy for Album of the Year. While the song only reached 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Graceland” also won a Grammy for Record of the Year.
Song of the Day is created by Sheldon Zoldan, and produced by Pam James for WGCU. Would you like to receive the Song of the Day in you inbox every day? Send an email to shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD